


Fated

by Katsudonace



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Curse Breaking, Curses, Fate, Fate & Destiny, Fluff, Fortune Telling, Hurt/Comfort, Keith can't cook, Light Angst, Lonely Lance (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Prophetic Visions, Self-Esteem Issues, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Soul Bond, Witch Curses, Wizards, annoyances to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 18:13:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14478372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsudonace/pseuds/Katsudonace
Summary: In a world of magic, Lance is a wizard and traveling performer. He possesses a special talent, the talent to read the fates of those he meets, which he uses to bolster his act. Life is good, though lonely, until he meets a hermit wizard named Keith, and both have their fates changed forever.





	Fated

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the [SafeKlanceWriters](https://safeklancewriters.tumblr.com/)'s mini-bang. Thanks to [mistreeblip](http://mistreeblip.tumblr.com/) and [genericpegasusknight](https://genericpegasusknight.tumblr.com/) who did the artwork that's included in this fic! Please go check out the rest of their work!
> 
> Huge thanks to [angst-in-space](http://angst-in-space.tumblr.com/), [genericpaladin](https://genericpaladin.tumblr.com/), and [thunder-dor](http://thunder-dor.tumblr.com/) for betaing! Also thanks to [partlycloudii](https://partlycloudii.tumblr.com/) for helping me come up with the idea!

Humming happily to himself, Lance travelled down the dirt road. He let his crystal ball dance on his fingers, running over his tan skin as if it had a mind of its own. Travelling made Lance happy. He loved being in a new city each day, meeting new people, and learning new things. It was better than at the Academy, or at least he assumed it was, since they’d rejected his application when he applied. They only took the best wizards, the ones with the most talent, and Lance, according to them, wasn’t one of the best wizards.

That didn’t change the fact that Lance had magic and raw ability. Instead of going back into the shadows like a lot of the people he knew with powers, he took his show on the road. He didn’t want to hide himself away just because he was rejected from some stuffy, elitist society. There was no law that said he had to be a member to perform magic, it would just be harder for him to get respectable jobs.

Which was why Lance now found himself on the road, heading to his next town, Arus. He’d perfected his showmanship and learned how to harness his talents to make money. To do this, though, he needed a lot of attention, which was why he was dressed to attract with a frilly grey shirt with a deep v-cut that revealed his light blue tunic, and a long olive-colored, leather duster that flowed elegantly in the breeze, matching his dark trousers. His boots were high with bells that jingled as he walked, tilting heads towards him as he made his way through town.

Lance wanted them to watch him, and he ran a hand through his dark brown hair, showing off his widow’s peak, which he thought was his best feature, and winked at a woman passing by with her friend. She stared at him with a puzzled expression and he wiggled his eyebrows, letting a light pass through his blue eyes, giving off a spark of magic. He watched her expression change and turn to whisper excitedly to the other person with her.

Lance pretended that he didn’t notice the crowd that was beginning to form behind him as he took in the buildings, which were far more rustic than he was used to, built of pure wood without a hint of stone. The road was gravel, crunching beneath his feet, and he heard the same noise echo behind him as a crowd followed behind him. It didn’t take much longer until he reached the center of town, where a fountain was bubbling quietly with a few trees sprinkled around it.

By now, it seemed as if he had almost all the townsfolk following him, so he decided this would be the perfect spot to start his show. Setting down the pack on his back, Lance hid his crystal ball up his sleeve and climbed onto the edge of the round fountain. He used his magic to clear the water so he wouldn’t make the same mistake as he made in the last town and stood proudly to face the people. He raised his hands and sparks of ice shot out from the fountain, cascading through the air, causing flakes of snow to fall despite the summer heat.

Tiny gasps escaped the gathered people as Lance sent more ice into the sky, using it to draw his name in a lovely, cursive pattern. “Hey, come one, come all, to Lance’s fantastic show! One you shouldn’t miss!” he shouted out at the crowd. “I do fortunes! I do stunts! I do ice sculptures!” He flipped, landing on one hand while he stretched out his other to let his crystal ball roll back into his hand. “Come to my show and be amazed! Not convinced? Well, let’s have a volunteer!”

The crowd cheered. Not everyone seemed convinced, but more were convinced than in most towns he visited, and a few people’s hands shot into the air. Lance did another flip, landing in front of the fountain, proud that he didn’t need to use magic this time to stabilize himself. He turned his attention to the crowd, stroking his chin as the ball spun over his fingertips. Usually, he went for the person who was buying it most, but today everyone seemed like good candidates.

Lance pointed to a nearby girl and grinned at her. She looked about his age and he approached while holding out his crystal ball to her. “Hey there,” he said, lowering his voice a few octaves. “How would you like it if I told your future?” The ball stopped spinning and dropped into the palm of his hand. “Ask it anything, and it’ll tell you what you want to know.”

The girl bounced on the balls of her feet and clasped her hands together as she thought of what to ask, though the way her eyes kept flickering to the girl next to her, it seemed she already knew. “I-” she began, as blush filled her cheeks. “I want to know what my love life will be like in the future. Will I find someone to love?”

Lance closed his eyes and took a breath, drawing the magic from within him and pushing it towards the crystal ball in his hand. It was merely a prop since people seemed more convinced by swirling smoke than his word. What he truly saw when he dived into the fates wasn’t anything like the wisps he made in his ball. It was as if he fell into an inkwell, surrounded by nothingness, with only an inky fluid to hold his consciousness in place.

The fate threads didn’t have form, at least Lance didn’t think they did. They felt like a constant vibration to him, each one with a different sensation. Lance reached out, his fingers coasting over different threads, trying to find the one that matched the frequency of the person whose future he wished to see. It felt natural, almost instinctive, the way his hand pulled apart the threads, reaching deeper until he could find the one he wanted.

Finding the girl’s fate thread, Lance pulled on it. Images flashed through his mind of the girl with grey hair, holding the hand of the one she seemed to like. They were relaxing on an orange blanket in front of the fire at a festival, watching the younger dancers sway to the music with fond looks of remembrance on their faces. It was a relief that Lance wouldn’t have to lie. He hated it when the fortunes didn’t turn out well.

“I can see a long future with your intended,” Lance said, as he opened his eyes, waving his hand over the swirling crystal ball. “You’re going to grow old with the person that you’re thinking of, but only if you take the chance and ask them. Otherwise, I can see this fate thread severing, and you’ll lose your chance.”

Her eyes widened and she turned to the girl next to her, grabbing her hands. She licked her lips, grasping their hands tight, looking as if she was about to be sick. “Will-you-go-out-with-me?” she asked, though it sounded all like one word. Red filled the other girl’s face, but as her gaze dropped to the ground, she nodded her head shyly.

The crowd cheered, thus confirming their faith in Lance. He let the smoke die, pulling back the crystal ball. “The show will be here at seven tonight!” Lance told them, rolling the crystal ball back up his sleeve. “Pay what you’d like. Pay what you think I deserve.” He bowed deeply. “And I will see you then.”

Lance received one last round of applause before they began to disperse, muttering to each other excitedly about the show. Feeling good, Lance turned around and picked up his bag. He was thinking about where to find lodgings, when he saw the girl whose fortune he’d told approach him. “Thank you,” she said, bowing. “I’m glad that you came. You seem much more useful than the wizard the Academy sent here.”

“There’s another wizard?” Lance raised an eyebrow curiously. That explained why the people here weren’t surprised by his magic if they had an Academy wizard living amongst them. He hadn’t met another wizard, though that was mostly because they didn’t want anything to do with them. “Where’s the wizard staying in this town?”

The girl snorted, rolling her eyes. “He’s not staying in this town,” she replied. She pointed into the distance down the street. “He’s in some hovel on the outskirts of town. I don’t even remember what he looks like, that’s how anti-social he is. The Academy delivers his supplies, and he never comes into town. Useless, you know?”

“Useless?” Lance hummed to himself. While normally he’d avoid an Academy wizard, there was something in the way the girl described him that made him want to see the anti-social wizard. “Well, I know I’m not useless.” He grinned. “Make sure you come see the show! I promise there will be good fortune to those who do!”

Smiling back, the girl left, hurrying to join her new girlfriend. Lance watched them, mirth disappearing as he watched them leave. It was ironic, in a way, always seeing other people find love, yet never finding any of his own. Still, he sucked in breath and turned towards where the girl pointed. He’d been alone this long. There was no use crying over it now.

Lance continued his journey, waving back at the townsfolk who waved at him. It was a small town, so it didn’t take long until he saw less people and more woods. He continued his march, finding a trail between the trees. It was dirt, mostly paved through the wearing down of the grass than any true intention to have a path here.

It was a long walk through the woods, and Lance almost thought the girl had lied to him when he finally reached what couldn’t be described as a hovel. The walls looked like they were held together with spit and hope while the roof was thatched with the worst straw that left visible holes. There was a busted chimney with smoke curling slowly out of it, so Lance at least knew it wasn’t abandoned.

Lance upturned his nose at the door that was almost rotted through, but it only made him more curious. “Anyone home?” Lance asked, rapping his knuckles gently on the door, afraid that if he knocked any harder it’d fall off its hinges. “Fellow wizard seeking the company of a wise old wizard. Hello?”

There was silence, so Lance continued knocking. “Stop it!” a young voice answered after the seventeenth knock. “Just stop it!” There was a shuffling of movement inside and the slamming of something against wood. Lance listened, hearing loud stomping as someone approached the door. “What do you want?”

“I just said.” Lance leaned against the door frame, though he didn’t put his full weight on it, worried the hovel would collapse. “I’m a fellow wizard who wants to speak with another wizard. I was passing through town, and I thought I’d drop by for a chat. Why don’t you let me in, and maybe we can have a cup of tea?”

“Go back to the Academy,” the other wizard snapped. Lance could see what the girl back in town had been talking about. He _did_ sound very anti-social. “Unless you have supplies for me, get out of here. I’m not looking to teach or train anyone. I don’t know what you heard, but I wasn’t even that good. So please, go away.”

“That’s a lot of assumptions there. I’m not with the Academy-” Lance began, but he was cut off by the door opening suddenly. A boy around Lance’s age stood in the doorway, a scowl marring his otherwise pleasant features. Dark, long locks fell over his purple-colored eyes and clung to the back of his pale neck. He was about two inches shorter than Lance, and it was hard not to grin at him because of that. “Hello there, little one.”

“There aren’t any wizards outside of the Academy,” he stated, eyes narrowing. He pointed his index finger at Lance threateningly. “So if you don’t get out of here right now then I’m going to curse you.” The wizard wiggled his finger at him. “Go on. Get to walking.”

Lance tilted his head to the side. “Whoa there, Mullet.” He put up his hands defensively. “I’m not from the Academy. I’m a fortune teller.” Calling the crystal ball, it slid from his sleeve and defied gravity to rest at the tips of his fingers. “That’s my talent, my knack. I used to get these gut feelings that turned out to be true, and I developed it from there. I can actually see the future now.”

“You’re lying.” Despite what he said, the other wizard’s hand dropped. “That’s really advanced magic. There’s no way you can just learn that on your own.” He bit at his lip, his eyes moving up and down Lance’s body. “If you’re telling the truth, tell me something about my future. Tell me-” He waved his hand as he thought. “Tell me where I’m going to be in ten years.”

“Probably alone and miserable with that attitude,” Lance muttered. Still, he closed his eyes, receding on himself to follow the fate threads leading to the future that the other wizard currently walked towards. He supposed it made sense that the wizards at the Academy had trouble finding the fates as Lance did. When he first tried to access them, he became tangled and lost in the darkness, as if it was another realm itself. It took practice and a lot of relying on his natural instincts to finally navigate the fates as freely as he did.

As he fell into the familiar ink of the fates, he could feel something else that normally wasn’t there, a hum of magic that wasn’t his own trying to follow him into the fates. It amused Lance a bit that the other seemed to be trying to learn his secrets after the big fuss he made about being left alone. Lance was impressed, though, that the other wizard managed to follow him, even if Lance did open the way for him. Not that it mattered, since he could already feel the limitations of the others’ magic getting him twisted and lost.

Lance skimmed his fingers over the threads, the magic of the other wizard hovering, probing the new space it inhabited. The frustration from the other was palpable as he tried to follow Lance, only to get more entwined in the threads. He ignored the other wizard and his struggles. Instead, he let his hand trace over the threads, looking for the requested time period. 

Locating it without trouble, Lance dove deeper into the threads and lost the feeling of the other wizard’s magic, though he could still feel the other’s indignation at the fate threads not bending to his will. Lance felt amusement over the wizard’s actions as moved his fingers along the fate threads. The presence shifted, receding from the fates, allowing Lance to sense the ones that resonated closely around the other wizard unhindered. One thread felt darker than the others, but there were always dark threads lingering. He was used to it by now. 

It wasn’t much longer until his fingers twitched over the other wizard’s thread. The thread was faint for some reason, barely there. Lance attempted to grab it only to be met with a stubborn resistance. Without giving much thought to his magic reserves, he pushed his hand harder at the thread until he managed to finally pull at the stubborn strand, allowing him to see the wizard’s future.

Visions flashed through his mind as he was finally able to connect to the fate string he was after. As Lance predicted, the wizard was alone, but he didn’t seem miserable. He played with a wedding ring on his finger, a smile on his face as he sat at a desk with an open tome on it. Oddly enough, Lance couldn’t see where the wizard was, the room black and blank. A door opened, and Lance felt as though he had been kicked in the head as he was forced from the vision. It was weird, since he’d never had a vision end early like that before.

Gasping for air as he came back to himself, Lance placed a hand on his head, feeling as if he’d been kicked by a horse. He felt as if he’d topple over, but strong arms were holding him up, keeping him standing. “I didn’t think reading my fortune would put that much of a strain on you,” the wizard said sincerely. “I’m guessing it was bad?”

“No.” Lance shook his head, trying to regain his composure. “I don’t know. It was hard to read. All I know is ten years into the future at this time, on this day, you’re happily married. Maybe it’s because you’re a wizard, too, but I couldn’t see where you were, and I was kicked out of the vision before I could see all of it.”

“Me? Married?” The other wizard snorted indignantly, but he didn’t seem to be protesting Lance’s vision. In fact, he was helping Lance inside, tugging the bag on Lance’s back in the process. “I think you connected to the wrong fate thread. There’s no way I’m getting married. I know for a fact the fates have different plans for me.”

As they moved further in, Lance noticed that the inside was _much_ nicer than the outside. It was small yet homey, with an oak table in front of a wide fireplace. A pot sat in the middle of the fire with a green bubbling liquid inside it while drying herbs dangled above the hearth. There was a counter with built-in cabinets and a cupboard next to the fireplace, too. On the opposite side, a twin bed sidled against the wall underneath a large, square window. A bookshelf sat next to the bed, neatly lined with large magic tomes.

“An illusion,” Lance said as he took in the quaint home. “That’s smart. Keep away undesirables.” The other wizard snorted, and Lance could feel the eye roll. “I’m not an undesirable. In fact, I’m very desirable, if you must know.” He allowed the other wizard to lead him to a chair and eased himself down gently into it. “I’m Lance, by the way.” He set his crystal ball down on the table. “What’s your name?”

“Keith,” the other wizard replied, dropping Lance’s bag unceremoniously on the floor. “Do you want tea or anything? I think I have some rations that I can share. Do you like beef jerky?” Keith moved towards the fireplace. “At least, I think it’s beef. It’s not really labelled...” He picked up a jar on the mantle that held unidentified dried meat. “It’s good, though.”

At this distance, Lance was able to take in more of Keith. He wore a red half-jacket with a tail that came to two points, like a bird’s. The tunic he wore was long and dark grey, draping over his black trousers. And though it was mostly covered by Keith’s tunic, Lance could see the hilt of a small dagger at his side. Lance also noticed that the boots Keith wore had thick soles, meaning he was even shorter than Lance originally thought. Thinking about how much height he had on the other wizard made Lance smile for some reason.

Keith shook the jar again, bringing Lance’s attention back to his face, though there was a bit of red there that hadn’t been there previously. “Oh, no, I’m fine.” Lance grabbed his bag, drawing it closer to him before reaching in so he could pull out a tin. “Some tea would be nice, though. I think it’ll go great with these.” He grinned, pulling back the lid to reveal some cookies he’d bought in the previous town. “I’ll even share.”

“How kind of you.” Despite his voice sounding deadpan, Keith did look down at the cookies with interest. “The tea won’t be what you’re expecting,” he said, as he put down the jerky to grab a different jar off the mantle filled with dried green leaves. “It’s from my home country. I’m told that it’s an acquired taste.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine if you’re making it.” Lance placed an elbow on the table to rest his chin in the palm of his hand so he could watch Keith shuffle around the kitchen. He was feeling better, but he still didn’t know why he’d had so much trouble reading Keith’s fate thread. Though, Keith was the first wizard that he’d done a reading for, so maybe that was what always happened when he tried to read for someone else with magic.

Carefully taking the pot off the fire, Keith replaced it with a tea kettle and finally returned his attention to Lance. “You feeling any better?” he asked, sitting across from Lance and sighing heavily. “I’m sorry. I knew it was a complicated spell, but I made you do it anyway. There’s just been a lot of people coming around since people say I’m a prodigy or something, so I wanted to test you.”

“Ooooh, a prodigy. I didn’t know I was in the presence of greatness,” Lance teased, watching the red return to Keith’s cheeks. “And you didn’t ask me to do anything complicated.” He waved his hand, dismissing Keith’s worry. “I do that a million times a day during my show. There’s just something different about you.”

Keith frowned. “Your show?” he repeated. “What show?” Keith looked even more confused now, lips thinning. Lance didn’t say anything, waiting for Keith to get there. Keith’s brow furrowed as he thought harder, then suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, making Lance chuckle. “Don’t tell me you abuse your magic like that.”

“I don’t abuse anything, Mullet.” Lance leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Can’t get a proper wizarding job without the Academy’s approval, but not all wizards get into the Academy. I have talent. I have potential.” He glanced to the side bitterly. “I don’t need their approval to tell me I’m something. I know I am.”

“What did your recruiter say?” Keith asked, and the concern in his voice made Lance’s eyes flicker back to him, though that didn’t change the anger Lance felt. “Wrong words. I’m not siding with their decision. Just, you are talented. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t get accepted into the Academy.”

Lance bit his lip as the memories of that day came flooding back. “His name was Iverson. He said my magic was too wild. Compared me to this kid they’d recruited before me. Said he had perfect control, unlike me. And that my magic reserves were pitiful compared to him.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m happy with the way everything turned out, but it makes me wonder what would’ve happened if they didn’t come across this guy first.”

An awkward silence stretched between them. “I should probably-” Keith started looking over his shoulder. “I bet the water is ready for the tea.” He rose to his feet, knocking the chair over as he stood. Lance raised an eyebrow at him, but Keith had his back turned. “Just give me a minute. I’ll get it ready.”

Keith moved to the fireplace and reached for the kettle. He hissed, recoiling his hand in pain. “What the heck, Mullet?” Lance got to his feet, walking over to where Keith was standing with his hand clutched to his chest. “Let me see it.” He held his hand out, but Keith shook his head. “Come on. Let me see it.”

Reluctantly, Keith let Lance take his hand. Lance spread Keith’s fingers, seeing where the burn was developing. He iced his fingertips then pressed them to the burn. “We’re the same age,” Keith pointed out. “And Iverson was my recruiter, too.” Lance glanced up at him. “Not to sound conceited, but I think the person you’re talking about might be me.”

Lance’s hand stilled as Keith told him that. “You’re _the_ prodigy?” Several emotions ran through Lance at once, confusion, sadness, self-loathing. Anger was the last one and easiest to hold onto. He didn’t see what Keith had that he didn’t. Lance could see the fate threads. Keith couldn’t. “You took my chance. I didn’t even get to prove myself. I didn’t get my choice. I didn’t get to pick what thread I followed! You took that decision away from me!”

“It’s not like I wanted to,” Keith snapped. He curled in on himself, but he didn’t pull his hand away from Lance’s, letting Lance’s fingers continue to heal the burn. “It’s not like I wanted to be-” He cut himself off, his breathing beginning to quicken. Keith looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack and that quickly made whatever anger Lance felt drain from him. “Do you even think you would’ve had a choice if they accepted you? Do you think they would’ve let you say no if they thought you had potential!?”

“Probably not.” Lance shrugged sheepishly, feeling guilty for his words. “Still, I would’ve liked to have seen the look on Iverson’s face when I became the supreme wizard of wizards.” His eyes flickered over Keith’s face, trying to gauge if he was calming down. “Maybe I lucked out, though. You’re an anti-social ball of nerves in the middle of nowhere.” He took one of his iced fingers and poked Keith’s nose, making Keith wince. Still, a smile played on Keith’s lips, and Lance found that he liked seeing it there. It relieved him to see that Keith wasn’t panicking any longer. “Sorry for taking it out on you.”

“It’s okay.” Keith smiled at Lance for a bit longer before coming to himself, pulling away with a frown. He shook his head, turning back towards the tea kettle. His hand glowed, and he picked up the kettle without needing any tools. As Keith prepared the tea, Lance took his seat back at the table, watching Keith work.

It wasn’t much longer before Keith was making his way back with two straight brown cups and the tea kettle, setting them down on the table. Picking up his cup, Lance took a sip, but then spit it back into the cup immediately. “Oh, gross,” he said, though it was garbled because he had his tongue sticking out in disgust. “What did you do? Green tea isn’t supposed to be bitter like this.”

“Really?” Keith seemed honestly surprised. “That’s how my brother made it,” he said, putting up a finger as he began to count. “That’s how my dad used to make it, too. I don’t know about my mom or grandparents, but all of the green tea I’ve had has tasted like that.” He pursed his lips. “I thought it was supposed to be bitter.”

“Well, you and your family can’t cook then.” Lance set his cup aside, though he noticed that Keith was still drinking his. “Don’t worry. I’ve had this before. Next time, I’ll make the tea.” He chuckled. “No wonder you live on jerky. Guess I’ll have to come around more often to make certain you get some proper food.”

“Maybe. Can’t stop you.” Withdrawing from the conversation, Keith looked down into the green liquid, since Lance refused to call that tea. “What does it say about your future?” Keith asked, his gaze flickering over to the glass ball sitting on the table next to the teapot. “That you’re annoying and like to invite yourself in?”

“It could say that.” Lance glanced at it and shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t read my own future. I guess that’d be cheating or something.” He hummed thoughtfully, his index finger rolling the ball across the table, circling it in front of him absentmindedly. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to. Takes the fun out of life.”

“Then why do it for other people?” Keith placed his elbow on the table, so he could rest his chin on his knuckles to take in Lance. “You could be studying real magic. You’ve got a lot of talent. You could do research for the Academy instead of performing cheap parlor tricks for a living. Settle down or something. I know the headmaster. I can talk to him about getting you work.”

“Nah.” Lance picked up his crystal ball, letting it flow across his fingers like water before rolling it over his shoulders to move to the other hand. “That’s your thing. I like making people happy and seeing the smiles on their face when I do one of my ‘cheap parlor tricks’. I wouldn’t get to do that if I locked myself up in a study.”

When Keith didn’t reply, Lance looked up from playing his crystal ball to see Keith staring at him with an odd gaze with color filling his cheeks. He seemed to notice how he was looking at Lance because he glanced away quickly. “I don’t see the point,” he huffed, still not meeting Lance’s gaze. “It seems a really big waste of your potential.”

“That’s really not for you to decide.” Since Keith wasn’t looking at him, Lance glanced outside, noticing that it was getting dark. “I promised to put on a show at seven, and I’m not going to let them down. I’ll see you later.” He paused, biting at his lip. “That is, if you _want_ to see me later. Do you want me to come back?”

“Yeah, you can come back,” Keith said with a nod of his head, fidgeting awkwardly. His gaze focused intensely on the table as he if was going to bore a hole through it. “I’ll even prepare a futon for you.” He glanced over at Lance, but he quickly looked back at the table with a slight color in his cheek. “That’s if you want me to set a futon out for you.”

Grinning, Lance said, “Yeah! I’d like that!” With that settled, Lance bid farewell to Keith. He felt energized as he walked out the door, in a different way than normal. He always felt happy meeting new people, but there was something about meeting Keith that had his heart racing, and Lance was unable to keep from smiling as he thought about him. The thought of going back made him excited, and Lance couldn’t wait to see Keith again.

* * *

It was a habit now. Once a month, Lance found himself passing through Arus, making his way to Keith’s hut, and staying the night on his futon before leaving the next day. There was something about going back to Keith that felt right, just as right as being on the road and performing felt. He’d come to welcome the time that he spent with Keith, laughing and talking through the night about everything, then sometimes nothing at all. It reminded him of his friend, Hunk, but in a way that was slightly different, though he couldn’t put his finger on how.

Still, Lance looked forward to these visits, counting down the days until he was able to bring his tour back around to Arus. Today, finally, was the day he had longed for. He marched into the town proper. Many of the townsfolk knew him by name now because of how often he visited, and the girls he had met from his first show always greeted him with a box of cookies that he could share with Keith. They didn’t know who Keith was, just that Lance stayed with him while he was here. They always had a flirty tone when they used his name, but it wasn’t like that. If they knew Keith, they’d know that he just didn’t feel that way about Lance, and for some reason, the thought about Keith not caring about him always made a small pang in Lance’s chest.

Lance ignored the ache, as he always did, and took the cookies with a bow, promising a show later that evening before he made his way to the edge of town and onto the path that led deep into the woods. It was so familiar to him now that Lance felt like he could walk it backwards with his eyes closed.

Humming to himself, Lance felt his heart beginning to beat more rapidly the closer he got to the cabin disguised to look like a hovel. Every time he got to the door, it felt like his heart was going to explode from the way it hammered in his chest. Lance ignored it, though, brushing it off as his excitement to see Keith and talk more about magical theory. Keith listened to him and valued what he had to say. It was nice, and different from what he was used to.

Lance banged loudly on the door, possibly with more force than necessary, but that was how he knocked. He was doing everything he always did, but an eerie silence stretched on while he waited. By now, the door should have flung open to reveal Keith, flustered as he had rushed to get the teapot ready, with his usual soft smile. Another second passed, and Lance was beginning to worry. It never took Keith this long to open the door, not since Lance’s first visit.

Another knock. Then another. Finally, Lance heard movement from inside and shuffling towards Lance. The door opened, and Lance grinned, only to have it drop when he saw Keith and the room. He couldn’t stop the feeling of dread that overtook him. His instincts were telling him that there was something very wrong here. There wasn’t a futon prepared for Lance, and no teapot ready for Lance on the table. In fact, Keith’s face seemed grave.

“Keith?” asked Lance. He reached out to put a hand on Keith, only to have him pull away from him. Panic began to curl into Lance’s stomach, spreading like a fire to his chest, burning as it threatened to take over his sense. “I-” Lance tried, but his throat was too tight for words. “Is everything okay?”

“I want to know my future,” Keith demanded. His body was tense, tight as if he was expecting a fight. That only made the panic in Lance’s mind flare more, especially since Keith hadn’t seemed interested in his future after Lance’s first attempt. “You said that I get married. I want to know who my future husband is. Tell me about him.”

“You could ask nicely, geez,” Lance said, trying to keep his tone light and teasing despite the worry that was growing inside of him. He didn’t bother with the ball this time, since he didn’t feel as if he needed to put up a front for Keith. Now that he knew Keith, he could be himself around him, no show needed.

Diving into the fate threads, just as he always did, Lance traveled along them into the future. He found Keith’s among them, but he couldn’t touch it. He tried again, pressing harder with his magic, but it still wouldn’t allow him to see what the thread held in Keith’s future. Lance probed the thread, feeling as if there was a force field blocking the thread from his view.

Lance frowned as he came back to himself, reluctantly tearing himself away from the well of fates. “I can’t,” he said as he opened his eyes to stare at Keith. Keith’s mood shifted, though not for the better as Lance could feel dark energy rolling off him. “This has never happened before. For some reason, there’s like a barrier around your fate thread. I can’t access it. I don’t know what you wanted to know, but I can’t tell you who your future husband is going to be. I’m sorry.”

Fists clenching at his sides, Keith looked away angrily. “No, you’ve told me everything that I wanted to know.” The dark energy continued to roll off Keith, and Lance was starting to get scared. Whatever it was, it felt suffocating, almost like a noose wrapping around his neck. “I hate you. You’re so annoying. You’re the worst person that I’ve ever met and an idiot to boot. It’s no wonder you couldn’t get into the Academy.”

Despite the harsh words, the dark energy that Lance had been feeling rescinded, though it was a new ache that made his stomach twist as if a knife had stabbed him there. “What?” he asked, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. “You know me! We’ve talked. Spent months together just talking. I thought we were- you can’t mean any of that.”

“I do,” Keith stated firmly. “Get out of here, Lance. We’re done.” His knuckles were turning white as he gripped the door. The dark energy had moved to circle around Keith, but Lance barely registered it. Lance could only stand there, frozen, unable to move, unable to think. “Leave. Don’t come back, ever. If I see your face again, it’ll be too soon.”

Lance opened his mouth, wanting to protest, but Keith had already slammed the door in his face. Tears began to roll down Lance’s cheeks without his permission. “Fine then!” Lance shouted at the door. “If you want to be like that then you can just stay here! I can see why no one wants to be around you with a winning personality like that!”

Standing there for a half a second, maybe more, Lance waited for Keith to yell back or open the door, something, but he didn’t. Lance sniffled, then turned on his heel to begin making his way through the woods. His chest felt hollow, like someone had carved him out like a jack-o-lantern but never put the candle in to give him warmth.

The woods seemed darker than normal, and colder, too. Lance pulled his duster tighter around himself, shivering as he walked. The bells on his boots annoyed him now, as he wished for quiet, and he was tempted to take them off, though that would mean stopping to sit, and he knew he’d break if he sat anywhere too long. He needed to keep moving.

That didn’t stop his mind from dwelling on the matter. He didn’t understand how Keith could get so upset over not being able to see his fortune. Keith didn’t even care about it until today. In fact, Keith had seemed wary of love, if Lance was being honest. That shouldn’t have mattered, though. A desire not to see into one’s future didn’t block Lance from seeing it. It should have worked, because the only person it didn’t work for was himself.

That was when realization hit him. Lance closed his eyes, dropping himself unceremoniously into the fates. He reached out with his magic towards the past, finding the moment the barrier around Keith’s thread lifted. He touched his thread and realized that it had been severed violently as if someone had taken a knife to it. That sounded like Keith, but what it connected to puzzled him. One moment, Keith was opening the door to let Lance in, and then the next, his fate thread was cut. It didn’t end, though.

The thread had become loosely entwined with one that Lance couldn’t touch. As Lance continued to trace Keith’s thread, he found it tightening, synchronizing, until he couldn’t tell one thread from the other. He’d seen this, not often, and he didn’t think Keith even realized what he’d done. For some reason, Keith had let go of his own fate and latched onto Lance’s, taking his fate as his own. Whatever Lance’s fate was, that was Keith’s fate now, too. There was no undoing it, not without cutting both threads. Yet he could feel a slight cut, not deep, and a darkness, like the one that he had felt earlier, oozing from the wound in fate.

Eyes snapping open, Lance groaned as he realized what Keith had been asking for when he wanted to see his future husband. Lance instantly changed directions, taking off in a run. He barreled down the path while his mind raced. Keith had known that Lance wouldn’t see his fate. It made sense now, why Lance was kicked from his vision the first time he tried to pry into Keith’s future. Lance was to be his husband in ten years; the entwined fates weren’t platonic. But the way Keith acted and what Keith had said made no sense. Then there was that darkness hidden within Keith’s thread. That worried Lance, making him push himself to run even faster.

Lance was out of breath and mind a mess when he finally reached Keith’s shack. He raced to the door, pounding his fist on it. Eerily, the door creaked open, revealing Keith on the floor, writhing in pain. The dark energy Lance had sensed before pulsed around him, the same energy that had tried to strangle Lance the last time he’d seen Keith. Now that Lance was truly looking, he could see that it was a curse, but it shouldn’t be attacking its carrier like this, not unless- “Oh,” Lance said as he connected the dots. “Wow, you’re an idiot.”

“Nice to see you, too,” Keith said, though it was strained. His hand was at his side, as if he’d been wounded, and maybe he had been. Lance only saw the curse, not what it was doing to him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but you have to get out of here. There’s-” The words broke, strangled by a grunt of pain. “Just go. Please, Lance.”

“It’s a fate curse, right?” Lance was kicking himself for not seeing it previously. While the curse had hidden itself in between the fibers of Keith’s fate, Lance wasn’t a child. He should have been able to see it. This is what he got for being so focused on the future. He missed what was in front of him. “Damn it, you’re such an idiot. Or maybe I’m the idiot. I have no idea.”

Keith looked at Lance in confusion. “What are you talking about?” He grunted in pain again, biting at his lip to keep himself from screaming. Knowing that there was little time left, Lance ignored Keith’s warning and barged into his shack, moving to kneel beside him. “How did you know I was fate cursed? This has never happened before. It’s never attacked me.”

“That’s because it always knew which thread yours was.” Lance’s eyes flickered over Keith. Cautiously, he reached out a hand, only to have the dark magic snap at his fingers, attempting to latch onto him, but he drew his hand back before it could. “You latched your fate thread onto mine. They’re basically the same string now. It’s attacking you because it can’t tell you from me. Then you went and tried to cut it. I think the only reason you’re not dead is because you have such a deep magic reserve.”

“Fate threads don’t work that way,” Keith protested weakly. The dark energy swirling around Keith was tightening, and Lance was struggling to come up with an answer as to what to do. He’d never dealt with a fate curse. That was a level beyond his own, one he never planned to touch. “You can’t cut fate threads. They can only be changed by curses like the one affecting me. That’s what all the books I’ve read on it say.”

“Who are you going to believe? Me, who’s actually touched them, or some books that the Academy gave you to read?” Lance snapped. He winced the moment the words came out of his mouth, hating how tense he was, but he was afraid he was going to lose Keith. “Unlike many have been led to believe, fates can fray and wither before their time. They’re affected by the choices that their owner makes. You didn’t let it fray, you cut it, then threaded it to mine.”

Keith shook his head, as stubborn as always. “If that was true then there wouldn’t be any point to fate curses. They’re designed to force the user into a miserable existence. There wouldn’t be-” Sweat was now forming on his brow, and the color was visibly fading from him. Lance couldn’t believe Keith was still arguing with him when he was literally dying. “I’ve accepted my fate, Lance. You should, too. Get out of here before it takes you.”

“Why do you think it’s going to take me?” Maybe that was the piece Lance was missing. Instead of arguing, and Keith was making it hard not to, he decided he’d rather save Keith’s life than convince him that the Academy was wrong. “I want the future I saw. I want you happy in ten years with a wedding ring on your finger. Just tell me what this is about.”

The pain in Keith’s eyes subsided, softening at Lance’s words, before he winced as another stroke of pain pulsed through him. “You saw the wrong fate,” Keith insisted, though it seemed it was less that he was arguing now as his eyes lost focus, possibly moving into delirium. “There isn’t a happy ending for me or anyone I love.”

“Love?” Lance croaked. That was a very strong word, one that he didn’t expect Keith to use, though it didn’t seem as if Keith had much control over what he was saying now. “Fate curses don’t work like that. Whenever they see your fate change for the better, it cuts off the source to direct you back towards misery. I can save you. I know I can. Just believe in me and tell me why it would take me. _Please_.”

At Lance’s pleas, Keith’s eyes seemed to focus, even if his eyeline was on the floor instead of Lance. “It started with my dad after the curse was first placed on me. Then this guy who was like a brother to me took me in, practically adopted me. The darkness swallowed him, too. Every time I thought that maybe I could be happy and love someone else, that’s when it activates.” He swallowed harshly. “When I saw you, I felt something, but I didn’t know what it was. Then a few days ago, I was airing out your futon, and it hit me. It was love. As soon as it did, I felt the curse flare up. I’m sorry I said those things. I didn’t mean them. Lance, I’m-”

“Hey, no, save your energy.” Lance’s heart was hammering in his chest. He knew he was going to marry Keith but hearing it was completely different. “Don’t worry. I forgive you. Now, let’s see about breaking this curse.” Only one idea kept popping into his mind, and even that was a long shot. “Maybe it’s silly, but my mom always told me that a true love’s kiss was a cure-all. It’s not that far off, actually. A single moment of pure happiness can do a lot to change your fate. Can I try? Can I kiss you?”

Keith glanced up from the floor, clearly lucid and slightly angry. However, he seized as an intense pain ripped through him. His eyes remained locked on Lance’s, though they were slowly growing fearful. He seemed to be mentally weighing his options. After a moment, he said, “If it gets to be too much, promise me you’ll pull back.”

“Yeah, of course,” Lance lied, then reached his hand through the dark magic, feeling it burn, threatening to tear his skin away from the flesh so that he could cradle Keith’s cheek in the palm of his hand. He didn’t back down, though, as he leaned forward so that he could press his lips softly into Keith’s before diving into the fates.

The curse hit Lance almost instantly, and he was surprised by how powerful it was. The dark magic wrapped around him forcibly. He felt like he was drowning in the once comforting ink, unable to grasp onto anything, even as he pushed back with all the magic he possessed. It angered Lance that the magic was so far beyond him and he was beginning to think that maybe Keith was right, that he had wasted his time putting on shows, when a hand reached out and pulled him free.

Lance could feel Keith, recognizing the magic from the last time he followed him here. Keith felt different, though, as if his magic and essence was resonating with Lance’s. That was something Lance had never experienced until now. He hadn’t even known it was possible to share magic, but now Lance had access to Keith’s natural magic reserves, and he could feel Keith drawing on his raw power.

Together, they pushed at the curse with their magic, weakening its hold, even if it was only slightly. That was still enough to give Lance the opportunity he needed to dive deeper towards Keith’s thread. While he couldn’t go forward due to what Keith did, he could go backwards. It was vile here, filled so much malice that even having his fingers crest over it had his stomach seizing. That didn’t matter, though. Lance grabbed the cursed thread without a second thought and tugged with everything he had.

The thread burned Lance’s hand, and if it was just his reserves, he didn’t think that he’d be able to remove it, but he had Keith’s. Even as depleted as it was, there were still tons that Lance could draw on to feed the magical power that he was exerting. Lance tugged harder, hand on fire, feeling as if it would burn into ash. Then with a pop, the curse came free, evaporating into nothing, its vibration fading away in the inky darkness.

All the sensations stopped and became muddled until he slowly floated back to himself. Lance could still feel Keith’s flesh against his from where their lips met to where Lance’s hand rested on his cheek. Pulling back, he opened his eyes to see Keith staring back at him. The color had returned to Keith’s skin, and he looked lighter than Lance had ever seen him, as if a weight had been lifted off him.

Lance removed his hand from Keith’s cheek but frowned when he saw a purple streak across his palm and a matching one on Keith where Lance’s hand had rested. “The curse is gone, but it scarred us,” Lance said, showing Keith his hand. He traced his fingers along the magical scar then Keith brought his hand up to do the same. “Are you okay at least?”

Keith smiled, raising a hand to rest at the back of Lance’s neck. “I’m amazing, thanks to you.” He played with Lance’s hair, and Lance thought his heart would speed up, but it remained steady. “I don’t care if I’m scarred. I’m just glad that the curse is over, and that it didn’t take you. I really am sorry for what I said, Lance. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know,” Lance replied automatically, his mind somewhere else. He placed his hand against his chest his other hand on Keith’s. It earned him an odd look from Keith, but he ignored him so that he could listen. “Our hearts. They’re beating in time with each other.” Then to his surprise, he felt Keith’s magic reserves flare, filling up what Lance spent while removing the curse. “You can’t half-ass anything, can you? Our fates are linked fully now.”

“You mentioned that before.” Keith tilted his head to the side. He seemed more curious than argumentative now, though maybe that was because he had finally felt what Lance was trying to explain to him. “You said before that I cut mine and latched onto yours. The Academy says that’s impossible, but-” He placed his hand over Lance’s. “Explain it to me?”

Lance was tempted to make a snide remark, but the earnestness in Keith’s voice made him push it down. “Every second of every day, we move towards the end of our threads. In those seconds, we make choices that decide our future fates. These fates are fuzzy, not cemented. They can be frayed, and if ignored, they’ll unravel, and a new thread will be weaved. Except, you cut yours. You abandoned your fate completely and made the decision that my fate would be yours. It was loose at first, could still be undone in the early stages, but then you made a decision and that bound the thread tighter. Now, though? We’re one thread, forever.”

Red colored Keith’s cheeks, and he looked off to the side sheepishly. “When I first saw you, for a moment, I let my guard down, and thought about how nice it would be to kiss you.” His eyes flickered back Lance nervously. “I didn’t mean to get you involved in all of this. If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have attached my thread to yours, even if I did do it subconsciously.”

“It was mutual,” Lance told him. “You wouldn’t have been able to wrap your thread this tightly around mine if I didn’t want it, too.” He pulled back, placing his hands on his chest, listening to his own heartbeat. “Fate is about choice, and I made a choice to follow you down this path and to get involved with you. I love you, and your dumb mullet. I think that’s why I was always drawn here, why I always came back.”

“It’s not a mullet,” Keith muttered as he sat up, his hands finding their way to the back of Lance’s neck again. Lance wondered if this was a side effect of their threads becoming one, the constant need for physical contact, or if it was just something Keith had longed for alone in his shack. “And I love you, too. But, it’s not over, or it might not be over. It’s hard to explain.”

“Then explain it.” Lance pursed his lips, searching Keith’s eyes. He could see how conflicted Keith was, or maybe Lance felt it. Everything was buzzing since leaving the fates, making it hard for him to distinguish between what was normal and what was a result of their threads merging. “I really don’t understand why anyone would curse you.”

Keith sighed. “When I started the Academy, they always bragged about me. Said that I would become the most powerful wizard in the world. It was my ‘fate’.” He frowned, expression growing pained. “That reached the ears of Haggar, a dark wizard who thought that she was the most powerful. To prevent me from surpassing her, she put a curse on me to change my fate, to make misery follow me wherever I went. That’s why I isolated myself, didn’t let anyone visit or stay, not until I met you, which in hindsight was stupid.” Running a hand through Lance’s hair, he chuckled. “I honestly thought you were too annoying for me to develop feelings for you.”

“Hey!” Lance protested, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can’t believe you thought I was annoying.” Keith laughed and leaned forward, mouth finding its way to Lance’s neck, biting lightly at his flesh. Lance inhaled sharply, almost losing his train of thought. “You think you’re so cute, don’t you?”

“Know it.” Keith hummed against Lance’s skin before pulling back, though his thumb moved to stroke where he bit. It was torture on Lance’s concentration, as all he could focus on was the warmth that was spreading through him. “So, what now? I want to ask you to stay, but I know I can’t because I know you’d say yes. I know you like to travel. I love you. I don’t want to cage you, ever.”

“Then come with me.” Lance leaned into Keith’s touch, locking eyes with him. “You’re not cursed anymore. You don’t have to worry about getting close to people. You can leave this shack, live how you’re supposed to.” He decided that two could play at Keith’s game and grabbed Keith’s wrist, so he could press a kiss into the pulse point. “We could even get married, if you wanted to keep that fate thread intact.”

Keith’s face had gone slack as his gaze remained on Lance kissing his wrist. “I- Uh...” It was cute, watching Keith try to form words. “I don’t know. I mean, you perform a lot, don’t you? Wouldn’t I hold you back? I’ve never performed in front of anyone except instructors. That’s your living. I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Let me worry about the shows.” Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair and was surprised at how soft it was. “There are other things that you can do to help out while we move around. It doesn’t have to be what I do.” Lance winked at him. “No one can do what I do. But I think it’d be fun. I think we’d have fun. I’m not going to twist your-”

“Okay,” Keith interrupted with a decisive nod. He didn’t seem certain at first, but he nodded again, an expression of resolve taking over his features. “Okay. I’ll travel with you. I want to be with you, and I don’t want to wait a month to see you, either. I’ve never done it before, and it’s been years since I left this shack, but I think it’s time I did.”

“And you’re sure?” Lance pressed. “Once we leave, it’ll be difficult to come back, even with magic.” He pulled back, away from Keith, and rubbed at his elbow. “And we’re going to be going pretty far, because I like the sea, and my home is across it. I want you to come with me. I want to show you everything that I’ve seen. I just need you to be sure you want to leave home.”

“This isn’t my home, Lance.” Keith reached forward and cupped Lance’s cheek. It didn’t seem as if Keith was going to stop touching Lance any time soon, not that Lance minded. “It’s my prison. I have to admit, part of me is afraid to leave, but there’s something better out there- the life I get to have with you.”

Keith smiled, and Lance didn’t think he’d ever seen him smile like this. It was open, without the weight or hesitation his smile usually carried. Lance grinned too, but he wasn’t expecting Keith to pull him forward into another kiss. He melted quickly into him, finding that he liked this side of Keith, the one that didn’t hold back. The kiss was different, too, though that was to be expected. When they first kissed, it was an act of desperation, and their fates hadn’t been linked. Now, it was soft exploration, while something sparked between them that felt soul deep.

The sparks continued to shoot through Lance, even as they pulled apart. He wondered if he’d ever get used to having his fate tied to Keith’s and how it would develop in the future. It was deep now. It would only grow deeper once they made vows of commitment, at least that’s what his mom had told him about linked fates.

Reluctantly, Keith removed his hand from Lance’s cheek. “I should get packed now. And I need to write a letter to send to the Academy so they’ll know not to send supplies to me out here any longer.” He pressed a quick kiss to Lance’s lips before getting to his feet. “Want to help me pack this place up while I write the letter? I mean, you do know the packing spell, right?”

Lance snorted as he got to his feet. “Do I know the packing spell?” He pursed his lips and put a finger on his chin. “ _Do_ I know the packing spell?” When he remembered, Lance nodded his head. “Yeah, I know it. So, write your letter, and I’ll get everything packed.” He rolled up his sleeves. “Is there anything you want to leave behind?”

“The mystery meat jerky,” Keith replied as he moved to his bed. He reached under it, pulling out a small box and a red knapsack. After setting the box on the table, Keith tossed the sack at Lance, who caught it effortlessly. “The table last,” he reminded Lance as he sat down, opening the box to reveal parchment, ink, and quills. “And my chair. Don’t take my chair while I’m sitting in it.”

“I know. I know,” Lance answered flippantly. He then set the knapsack down with its flap open and motioned with two fingers so it would float in the air. Starting with the cupboards, Lance raised his hands, letting the energy flow through him to shrink and float the potion ingredients into the bag. Performing magic felt different now that he was drawing on Keith’s magic as well, and he could feel Keith keeping him balanced as he exerted his power.

With Keith’s reserves at his disposal, the packing went quickly and tirelessly, each object fitting perfectly into the knapsack as Lance willed it. Soon, the only items left were the table and chair that Keith requested he didn’t take and several jars of the mystery jerky on the mantle of the fireplace. Lance put his hands on his hips, taking in his work, nodding with satisfaction as he gazed at the empty shack around him.

“Done,” Keith said after another moment. He placed his quill and ink back into the box and flicked his finger against the paper, drying the ink instantly. The moment Keith stood, Lance grabbed the table and chair, throwing Keith off balance. Lance chuckled as Keith wobbled, which earned him a glare. “Very funny.”

Lance grinned. “I thought so.” Then Lance shrunk the last few items, placing them in the knapsack. The flap closed, and Lance waved his hand, sealing the spell so everything didn’t expand suddenly while they were walking. He watched Keith pluck the knapsack out of the air, shouldering it as he glanced around the empty shack. “Ready to go?”

Keith took a moment, staring at the fireplace, before he returned his attention to Lance. “Yeah,” he said with a nod of his head. He reached out with his hand, lacing his fingers with Lance’s before bringing their entwined fingers up to his lips to press a kiss into them. “Where are we going to be heading first?”

“Well, first, we’re going to be heading to Arus,” Lance told him. It was tempting to skip it and wander off onto a new adventure with Keith, but he had made a promise that he didn’t plan to break. “I’m putting a show on at seven. My final show there, I guess. After that, though, we’re free to go wherever you want.”

“I think I want to see your home,” Keith admitted. He began walking, and Lance followed, matching Keith’s gait perfectly as they left the shack, starting down the path. Keith’s eyes flickered over the trees, at the birds that were above them, as if it was the first time seeing them in ages, and maybe it was. “I’ve never seen the sea before.”

“You’ll love it.” Lance blushed as he thought of Keith on the beach, sea air blowing through his hair. Keith’s hand squeezed his and Lance wondered if Keith had felt his embarrassment. “Do you know how to swim?” Keith looked away and shook his head. “It’s okay. I can teach you. I taught my niece and nephew, so I can teach you, too.”

As they walked, Lance told Keith about his family, about everything they did together on their island. Keith was quiet for the most part, but after what happened to his dad and adoptive brother because of the curse, it made sense for him to be quiet when it came to that aspect of his life. He didn’t seem upset that Lance was talking about his family. Instead, Lance could sense a deep curiosity coming from him.

Lance kept talking, not even realizing that they had left the woods and were on the outskirts of town until he heard shouting in his direction. He smiled when he saw the children waiting for him to return from the woods as he always did. They crowded around him and Keith, grinning excitedly. A nervousness rolled off Keith, so Lance let go of Keith’s hand then put an arm around him to draw him closer into his side.

“Lance!” they shouted, bouncing on the heels of their feet as they stood in front of him. They were always so eager for his shows over the past couple of months, and Lance found that he was going to miss them. A hand found its way onto the small of his back, and Keith gave Lance a sympathetic look. The children didn’t seem to notice and continued to cheer, “Do magic for us! Do magic for us!”

“Maybe, I don’t know,” Lance replied, pretending to consider it. “You’ve been awfully rude. One, you didn’t say please, and you always have to say please when you want something. Two, you completely ignored Keith here.” He gave Keith’s shoulder a squeeze. “You could at least say hi to him to make him feel welcomed.”

The eyes of the children turned to Keith as if they’d just noticed him standing there. “Hi, Keith,” they said in unison as they gawked at him. It reminded Lance that no one remembered what Keith looked like after he shut himself in his shack. Keith tensed, the looks the children were giving him making him visibly uncomfortable. Maybe Lance had forced too much onto Keith on his first venture out, and he was kicking himself for not thinking about this sooner.

But then, one of the children, a young girl with pigtails, walked up to Keith and looked up at him. She looked almost as nervous as Keith as she tugged at the hem of her tunic. “Hey,” she said, looking down at the ground sheepishly. “Um, I was wondering, Sir Keith, uh, do you do magic too? And do you think you could show us? Like Sir Lance does?”

Keith’s eyes flickered from the girl to Lance, who gave him an encouraging nod. “Uh, yeah, sure.” He kept his gaze on Lance for a moment longer, then bent down, holding out his hand, which was shaking slightly. Flames sprouted from his palms and danced before taking the shape of a dragon, roaring furiously before it took flight.

The girl gasped and clapped as she cheered. The others joined in, and soon, they had crowded around Keith, watching him in awe. They all grinned in awe as the flame dragon rose higher in the air. Keith’s eyes flickered from his magic to the children, taking in their smiles, and his hand grew steady. He glanced up at Lance and grinned widely at him. Lance blushed and grinned back, glad that Keith finally seemed happy. 

The flames snapped, and Keith’s gaze moved back to his magic. Lance watched the dragon fly higher and higher until it exploded into glittery sparks that had the children gasping. Warmth spread through Lance, one that he never thought he would feel in his life. He knew he’d never get to see his own fortune, but now he didn’t need it. They were going to have a happy life, ten years down the road, fifty years, and more. That was the future he knew was his. Lance finally had someone to share his life with, and that was all he ever wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on my writing journal at [KatsudonAce](https://katsudonace.tumblr.com/) or on my main at [Keithphantom](http://keithphantom.tumblr.com/). I'm also now on Twitter @[invis_o_keith](https://twitter.com/invis_o_keith)


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